Most Sittercity reviews that you will find only scratch the surface, which means that you may not be getting the full scoop on this service. If you need a sitter soon, then this article is for you.
In this article, I will provide you with details about Sittercity that you won’t find anywhere else. By the end of this article, you’ll be able to decide if Sittercity is the right choice for you and your family’s needs.
So is Sittercity right for you and your family? Read on to find out.
Sittercity Limited Time Offer: Save Up To 65% With Our Value Plans
Here’s what some parents have to say about this article:
“Thanks for your very complete review of Sittercity. I really appreciate it. 🙂 It seems you’ve covered all of the things I had questions about their services. This is tremendously helpful for moms like me who are very careful with choosing a childcare service.” – HCunningham
“This is a very comprehensive review of Sittercity. I was looking online for some reviews but most of them were more focused on the part of the sitter. I’m a mom and I need to know the mechanics of Sittercity. I’m glad I saw this review. Thank you. – Darlene JP
“I’m glad I stumbled upon your review of Sittercity. A lot of things have been said about it but your article has really given me a wider perspective on their services.” – peaches8
“Thank you for this article. If I hadn’t read this I wouldn’t have tried out Sittercity. Now I’m able to find sitters who are reliable and caring.” – scranberry
Table Of Contents
Highlights Of This Sittercity Review
- Sittercity is the market leader in the online sitter space and is America’s largest and most trusted online resource for child care, elder care, pet care, housesitting, housekeeping, and tutoring. In fact, the company invented the online sitter and caregiving services industry. To date, Sittercity serves more than 7 million users in cities across the United States.
- Part of the appeal to members of Sittercity is the social media, and community feel of the website and this naturally leads to another benefit — the detailed profiles of sitters and the feedback from parents. More importantly, you also have complete access to feedback provided by parents who have used the services of the sitter.
- Sittercity recommends a four-step process for screening and finding the best sitter for your family. This screening process includes the use of the site’s internal feedback system, conducting personal interviews, checking references, and conducting thorough background checks.
- Safety and security for both family and sitters are top priorities for Sittercity. Sittercity takes safety and security very seriously. The company uses a couple of highly respected safety and security organizations such as Family WatchDog, Experian, and Sterling Talent Solutions to assist them in the sitter review process. The profiles of sitters are redundantly reviewed for identity verification and quality review as soon as they register on the site.
- One of the great things that I like about Sittercity is the ability for parents to do affordable background and identification checks right within the site. In-depth background checks are available for both parents and sitters to purchase and process.
- Sittercity also allows you to contact the sitters’ references directly so that you can talk to them to learn more about the sitter that you are interested in hiring.
- With Sittercity, you can find sitters passively or proactively. With a passive search, all you have to do is post a job on the site and wait for qualified sitters to apply for the job. The proactive way of looking for a sitter starts with you going through the search process using various filters based on your requirements. Once you narrow down your list of potential sitter candidates, you can then contact them.
- Regardless of whether you decide to find sitters passively or proactively on Sittercity, the site provides parents and families a great search platform that is really so convenient and very easy to use. There is no doubt that this Sittercity helps parents like us take the stress and inconvenience away from what used to be a very time-consuming and stressful endeavor.
- Sittercity is one of the best online sitter services that you can find in the market today. However, Sittercity isn’t perfect. Just like other babysitter services, you may find certain issues with the service if you think that this service will do everything for you. Detailed solutions on how to deal with the service’s shortcomings are provided.
- Sittercity offers 2 types of memberships: (1) free Basic Membership; and (2) paid Premium Membership. The difference between the two types of memberships is discussed in detail. If you want to give Sittercity a test drive, give the free Basic Membership a try.
- Paid membership cancellation is also very easy. Cancellation contact information is also provided in this article.
- Bottomline thoughts and recommendations on Sittercity are discussed at the end of the article.
Everything You Need To Know About Sittercity
There comes a time when parents really need some help with regard to taking care of their child.
Whether it’s because you need to be at work, have an important appointment that you can’t miss, or simply need to have a break from family life to keep your sanity … finding a babysitter whom you can trust your precious little one can be quite a challenge.
For the lucky ones who have family members, relatives, or neighbors to depend on for babysitting, I envy you.
For parents like us who need outside help for babysitting or do not want to hassle others, we have two options: find babysitters the old-fashioned way through recommendations from family and friends or find babysitters the modern way via the internet.
There was a time when I was also in desperate need of a sitter. Not having someone to watch over my daughter when I had to be at work while my husband was away on a trip had put me in a tight situation.
Based on my experience and knowledge now about Sittercity, I’m going to provide you with some important insights on this service which I hope can help you decide on whether Sittercity is the right solution for your child care needs.
As a result, I had to find a solution to the issue and set my mind on using an online sitter service. That’s when I came across Sittercity.
When I was doing my own research at that time, I came across various online sitter services that have been sprouting online, and believe me, some of the sites I found did not impress me as being safe or can be trusted.
When I started focusing on finding out more about Sittercity, information on this service was very scarce. I did not have enough information to make an informed decision.
Based on my experience and knowledge now about Sittercity, I’m going to provide you with some important insights on this service which I hope can help you decide on whether Sittercity is the right solution for your child care needs. [1]
I will also provide you with some tips on how to make the most out of the service so that you don’t make some costly mistakes in hiring the wrong sitters to care for your precious kids.
With that, let’s move right along.
So What’s The Real Scoop On Sittercity?
Sittercity is the market leader in the online sitter space and is America’s largest and most trusted online resource for child care, elder care, pet care, housesitting, housekeeping, and tutoring.
To date, Sittercity serves more than 7 million users in cities across the United States.
In fact, the company invented the online sitter and caregiving services industry when it was founded back in 2001 by Genevieve Thiers while she was still a Boston College student.
The service offers a great choice of potential babysitters for your kids via an easy-to-use website. The idea of a simple online resource for babysitters is highly appealing to all us parents and that is exactly what Sittercity aims to offer us. [2] Once you sign up as a member you can easily access the database of available child care providers and post the details of the job you require.
From there, it is just a matter of waiting for the applications to come your way. Or, if you want to be more proactive with your search, you can screen and narrow down potential sitters to contact through the use of various screening filters that suit your family’s needs.
Part of the appeal to members of the site is the social media, community feel of the website and this nature leads to another benefit — the detailed profiles of sitters and the feedback from parents.
Part of the appeal to members of the site is the social media, and community feel of the website and this naturally leads to another benefit — the detailed profiles of sitters and the feedback from parents. Profiling sitters that sign up gives you an easy way of viewing their personal details, location, experience, and skills so that finding the perfect choice is quicker and easier.
More importantly, you also have complete access to feedback provided by parents who have used the services of the sitter.
Another advantage of using Sittercity over other websites is the freedom and choice that it offers. There appears to be no limit on the type of jobs you can post on this site.
Whether you need a simple overnight job, some after-school cover, or a full weekend, you can post your job requirements for applicants or do a proactive search for someone who is available.
Additionally, if you require a sitter with specialized skills, for instance, if you would like the house to be cleaned or prefer someone with first aid training, you can find someone with a suitable match.
You can also find sitters who can tutor your kids. If you have pets, the site also offers pet sitters.
One thing is for sure, this website offers peace of mind for busy parents. There is nothing worse than finding out that you have to be out of the house in an hour and there is no one available to watch over the kids. With Sittercity, this nightmare could potentially be resolved because members have been known to post job requests at short notice with success.
Because of the speed and simplicity of the process, available sitters whom you have already pre-screened (through the four-step screening process; more on this below), can instantly view and respond to your emergency posts and be at your door in time just so you can be at your important engagement.
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Safety and Security For Both Family And Sitters Are Top Priorities
Sittercity recommends a four-step process for screening and finding the best sitter for your family. This screening process includes the use of the site’s internal feedback system, conducting personal interviews, checking references, and conducting thorough background checks.
By following this four-step screening process, you can put your mind at rest and be able to make better hiring decisions.
In-depth background checks are available for parents or sitters to purchase and process. The background check processing is completed by Sterling Talent Solutions. Sterling is considered one of the best in the world when it comes to checking and verifying the background of anyone.
Sitters are screened through the Family Watchdog database, both with the information provided at registration and continuously thereafter.
Sitter identities are authenticated at registration by Experian, which compares user information against publicly available data. This helps Sittercity determine that the person who created the profile is a real person. [3]
You would think the high-level background and database checks would be enough. Well, Sittercity realizes you can never be too careful. They take safety and security so seriously that they have a third-party review process. The profiles of sitters are reviewed again for identity verification and quality review.
One of the great things that I like about Sittercity is the ability to do background and identification checks right within the site.
In-depth background checks are available for parents or sitters to purchase and process. The background check processing is completed by Sterling Talent Solutions. Sterling is considered one of the best in the world when it comes to checking and verifying the background of anyone.
However, Sittercity doesn’t stop there.
They’ve also partnered with an organization called Family Watchdog, which tracks down registered sex offenders within your area, for added security in your screening process. I think that is also really a great feature that parents should be aware of.
As a heads up, a background check using Sterling costs $15 per background check per person. Sittercity’s comprehensive background check includes an identity check, a national criminal search, traffic violations, and a check through the sex offender and violent crime registry.
However, most of the time, you will find that a sitter already has a background check in their profile. If such is the case, then you wouldn’t have to do one as the background check was already done by other parents or subscribers, or by the sitter themselves.
According to Sittercity, it is pretty common for sitters to pay for their own background check in order to complete their profile and make it more convenient for parents to hire them. By having a complete background check in their Sittercity profile, a babysitter usually has a better chance of being contacted by parents since they are making it convenient and cheaper for parents to hire them.
By the way, even if sitters request for their own background check on Sterling, there is absolutely no possibility that sitters can influence or tamper with the findings in the background check.
Now in the event that a hiring party needs to do a background check since no background check has been done on a sitter, do I think that the cost is justified at all?
I sincerely do think it is still very much justified.
Considering that we are ensuring the safety of our family and kids, I truly think that a $15 background check is well worth it. I think of this as an investment for our peace of mind and more importantly, for the safety of our kids.
Aside from being able to do background checks conveniently as a Sittercity member, you can also read actual reviews on the sitters left by other moms and members of the site. While identity and background checks are extremely important, being able to read reviews about a sitter from other parents is priceless.
Sittercity also allows you to contact the sitters’ references directly so that you can talk to them to learn more about the sitter that you are interested in hiring.
In addition to all of these, sitter profiles on the site also come with photos, experience, training, safety skills, availability calendars, reviews, and more. You can interview sitters before making a final decision. In fact, it is highly recommended that you do so. You are always in control of the whole process.
While identity and background checks are extremely important, being able to read a review about a sitter from other parents who are using or have used a potential sitter is priceless.
Like any other online sitter service, there is no guarantee that the system is foolproof but as long as you use common sense and do your own research on applicants, then you should be safe. If one sitter has a five-star rating and good references and the other has a two-star rating and nothing to back up their application, then the choice is obvious.
How Do You Actually Use Sittercity To Find A Sitter?
I found Sittercity to be one of the most convenient ways for finding a babysitter since you can do your searches right in the comfort of your home. [4] You no longer have to make calls or bother your family, friends, relatives, office mates, or local community centers to find a recommended sitter.
You do not even have to make a special time just to make a trip to your local college, university, or church just to get hold of a list of potential sitter candidates. It’s really such a time saver.
The service even becomes more valuable if you don’t know anyone who can make recommendations for a sitter or if you are pretty much new in your neighborhood. As long as you have a computer or an electronic mobile device and an internet connection, you can do your sitter searches right in the comfort of your home.
With Sittercity, you can find sitters passively or proactively. Let me clarify that.
With a passive search, all you have to do is post a job on the site. When you post a job on Sittercity, you can provide specific details about the job that you are looking for someone to fill in. Within a few hours (sometimes even minutes), qualified local sitters who are interested in the job posting will respond to you.
You can then review further details about the sitters who responded to your job posting and start the process of creating a shortlist of sitters that you would be interested in getting in touch with and interviewing.
The proactive way of looking for a sitter starts with you going through the search process. This simple search starts with you going to the sitter search box and typing your zip code.
You are then taken to a screen where you can refine your search through various filters that include the following filters: distance from your home, has own transportation, ok with pets, nonsmoker, availability of photo, gender, availability of background checks, last time the sitter signed in to the site, availability, availability of user reviews and feedback, the preferred location for sitting whether your own home or the sitter’s home, years of experience, hourly rate, educational level, first aid certification, CPR certification, teacher certification, nurse’s assistant certification, special need experience, languages spoken, age of care provider, and more.
Once you have set your parameters and done your search, you can then do further research on the potential sitters you are interested in. Since you have full access to their profiles, you can read all their background info and background checks prior to getting in touch with them for phone and face-to-face interviews. Also read: Free Trial Search On Sittercity
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Sittercity also provides tips and articles for you on how to conduct searches to help you find sitters who are best suited for your needs. For example, some of the articles that you will have access to cover topics such as interview questions to ask potential candidates or how you should conduct interviews to spot sitters who seem to have chemistry with you and your kids.
Regardless of whether you decide to find sitters passively or proactively on Sittercity, the site provides parents and families a great search platform that is really so convenient and very easy to use.
There is no doubt that this online sitter service helps parents like us take the stress and inconvenience away from what used to be a very time-consuming and stressful endeavor.
U.S. Department of Defense Partnership
As proof of the site’s quality of service and high standards, I just thought that you might like to know that Sittercity is fully endorsed by the U.S. Department of Defense. In fact, the U.S. Department of Defense partnered with Sittercity back in 2010 to help military families with their childcare needs. [5]
Military families have free access to this online sitter service thanks to funding from the Defense Department. Military members and their families can activate their membership by going to http://www.sittercity.com/dod.
So if you or a member of your family are in the Army, Marine, Navy, or Air Force, you don’t have to pay for membership and will have full access to all the benefits that Sittercity has to offer. Watch the video below to learn more about this.
[Update: As of 31 July 2015, Sittercity’s free access for military members was discontinued. However, the company still provides discounted offers for its services to military families. You can find more details regarding this matter here.]
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Need To Cancel Your Subscription? It’s Really Easy
Just like any service that you use for your home and family such as electricity, gas, water, cable, garbage collection, insurance, newspaper, magazines, or ant-virus software, it is your responsibility to cancel your subscription for such services. Sittercity is no different from these.
Also, it is important to note that when it comes to renewing your premium membership, Sittercity does not send you a notice of billing. For some reason, this appears to be the practice at Care.com too. A lot of people are usually surprised to see automatic renewal billing on their credit cards thinking that since they did not receive any billing notification, then they would not be billed at all.
Make sure you cancel your subscription if you intend to only use Sittercity for the amount of time you signed up for. Otherwise, your credit card will be automatically billed without any email notification.
Make sure you cancel your subscription if you intend to only use Sittercity for the amount of time you signed up for. Otherwise, your credit card will be automatically billed without any email notification.
In the event that you decide to end your subscription to Sittercity, cancellation is very easy. They have provided every possible option for you to cancel your subscription. All it really takes is just a couple of keystrokes on your computer or a few buttons on your phone to cancel.
If you plan to no longer use the service, below are your multiple options to cancel your subscription:
To Cancel Via Account Settings: To cancel your subscription to Sittercity, you can go to your Account Settings on the site and turn off automatic renewal (see instructions here).
To Cancel Via Support Team: If you want Sittercity to cancel your subscription for you, you can just fill up a form and they can take care of it for you within 1 business day.
If you still need help canceling your subscription, here’s the link to Sittercity’s customer service: Sittercity Support.
To Cancel Via Direct Phone Call: If you want to call them directly, you can also do that by scrolling to the bottom of the Sittercity Support page for their Toll-Free number.
Refund Policy. If ever you want to cancel your subscription and were charged within the past 5 days, Sittercity can still process a full refund for your most recent charge. If more than 5 days have passed since you were charged, Sittercity will prorate a refund of your most recent charge.
You Need To Know That Sittercity Is Not The Following …
I think that Sittercity is one of the best online sitter services that you can find in the market today. However, Sittercity isn’t perfect. Just like other babysitter services, you may find certain issues with the service if you think that this service will do everything for you.
Keep this in mind because this is important: Services like Sittercity only facilitate the process of the search. It provides you with the tools to help narrow down your choices from an extensive pool of babysitting providers.
This means that if you do not know how to narrow down your choice of candidates to a few choices, then you might have a tough time finding the right set of candidates to interview. Eventually, the screening criteria starts with you.
Keep this in mind because this is important: Services like Sittercity only facilitate the process of the search … Eventually, the screening criteria starts with you.
If you know what you are looking for in a babysitter, the service can actually do a good job of paring down your choices. The key is for you to know exactly what your requirements or credentials are for your ideal babysitter.
Do you want them to still be in college or a mother who does babysitting on the side? Do you want someone who has their own means of transportation? Do you require someone who knows how to communicate in other languages? How about CPR or first aid? Do you require these?
Again, it is important that you know the requirements that will make you feel that you are getting the right babysitter for your child.
Another potential issue that we see with using Sittercity is that some people might let down their guard regarding background checks. Just because a babysitter is listed in Sittercity does not mean that you should assume that Sittercity has done its due diligence in screening people.
Remember, Sittercity is like eBay or Amazon.com for babysitters and those who need babysitting services — it facilitates the process of finding the right match for those who need the service with those who can provide the service.
Once you have chosen your final list of candidates, it is your responsibility to do the final screening through in-person interviews, going through the reviews of the babysitters, checking with references, and most importantly, background checks.
Sittercity can facilitate background checking. Even with the $15 fee for background checks, I found this worth the investment since I do not think I can do the comprehensive background check myself. Doing so will also cost me more dollar-wise plus time-wise so I really think that this is a great feature.
As I have mentioned previously, Sittercity is my main choice for finding the perfect sitter and childcare for my family’s needs. And just like any great service or product, it has its advantages and shortcomings.
Of course, I love it when the advantages and benefits of using the service make my life a lot easier. However, knowing the shortcomings of the Sittercity allows me to further make the most out of the service so that I can manage my expectations and integrate solutions to make the search for the perfect sitter a more rewarding experience.
Is Sittercity Really Worth It?
Did you know that Sittercity offers FREE Basic Membership to its site?
Yes, you read that right. You now can have Basic Membership for free, which is really great!
The free Basic Membership allows you to view sitter profiles, sort and filter for sitters based on your requirements and needs, view sitter messages, and post limited jobs. It’s really a great way to test drive the service prior to having a paid membership so we highly suggest that you take advantage of this.
The free Basic Membership allows you to view sitter profiles, sort and filter for sitters based on your requirements and needs, view sitter messages, and post limited jobs. It’s really a great way to test drive the service prior to having a paid membership so we highly suggest that you take advantage of this.
Like all online sitter services, Sittercity also has its Premium Membership.
So what exactly is the Premium Membership all about? In addition to the features that you have access to with the free basic access, with the Premium Membership, you get to contact the sitters, run background checks, and read references and reviews provided by other users on the site.
Below is a summary of the membership pricing for Sittercity:
| Subscription | Sittercity Fees* | |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Membership | FREE | |
| One-month premium membership | $35 a month (automatic billing every month) | |
| Three-month premium membership | $70, which comes out to $23.33/month | |
| One-year premium membership | $140, this is the best deal at $11.67/month | |
| *Please note that the three-month and one-year memberships are billed upfront and not on a monthly basis. | ||
As you can see, you can sign up for a monthly membership of $35, go for a three-month membership of $70, or a one-year membership of $140.
So if you prefer a monthly billing of $35, you are more than welcome to do just that. Now if you prefer to save more and don’t mind paying upfront, then the three-month or one-year memberships would definitely be better options.
Important: Before you decide to join Sittercity, do make sure to use any available promo codes so that you can get more savings with your membership. Sittercity coupon codes, which often offer deep discounts, definitely make this service much more affordable for parents so we highly recommend that you take advantage of them.
Sometimes, Sittercity offers discounts and we are not talking of just 5% to 10%, but deep discounts of 30% or more (sometimes up to 65%!). So when the opportunity presents itself, make sure that you take advantage of these great savings.
Some would argue that they are not willing to pay a subscription fee since they can just go through classified ads or craigslist to find a sitter.
However, if you think about it, when it comes to the care and safety of your child, the membership fee is a small price to pay especially when you have access to background checks, all the screening filters, and references to make sure that the person you are hiring is someone that you can trust and depend on.
… if you think about it, when it comes to the care and safety of your child, the subscription fee is a small price to pay especially when you have access to background checks, all the screening filters, and references to make sure that the person you are hiring is someone that you can trust and depend on.
Furthermore, the site offers you the convenience of finding potential sitters right in the comfort of your home. Once a member of Sittercity, you have complete access to sitter profiles which also come with photos, experience, training, safety skills, availability calendars, reviews, and references from other people who had actual experience using the sitter candidate, which I think is a very important factor to consider in your sitter search.
Please Note: We just wanted to let you know that membership prices for Sittercity may be subject to change as of this writing. We do not have any control over any pricing changes that Sittercity may decide to implement. However, we will do our best to keep up-to-date with the pricing schedules for this market-leading online babysitter service.
Our Bottomline Thoughts On Sittercity
Overall, I think Sittercity is well worth its membership fee as the service offers parents a convenient and easy-to-use platform where we can post specialized and varied sitter jobs, read detailed profiles of prospects, and efficiently find a sitter who has been carefully screened to fit our needs.
Sittercity may be close to being the most viable and convenient solution to helping us find sitters to care for our precious kids.
A great benefit of using the FREE Basic Membership, which is like a free trial of some sorts, is that you will get to know firsthand how many child care providers are available within your area. You can even do a proactive search using the filters that the site will provide you. Again, the free basic membership is highly recommended. It’s a “no strings attached, no credit card required” membership so you really have nothing to lose.
Now that I have presented to you my experience and thoughts on Sittercity, the decision as to whether you should become a member of the service is really all up to you.
If you are still on the fence regarding joining Sittercity, I suggest that you give it a test drive instead so that you will have a better idea of how the service works. That’s what I did when I first joined.
Disclosure: Compensated Affiliate. Click here for details.
P.S. A great benefit of using the FREE Basic Membership, which is like a free trial of some sort, is that you will get to know firsthand how many child care providers are available within your area. You can even do a proactive search using the filters that the site will provide you.
Again, the free basic membership is highly recommended. It’s a “no strings attached, no credit card required” membership so you really have nothing to lose. If you decide Sittercity is for you, you can easily upgrade your membership.
Below is a link to a FREE Basic Access for Sittercity in case you decide to give it a try.
Here Are Actual Feedback From Sittercity Users …
I thought it might be interesting to find out what other parents had to say about Sittercity on the web. I searched around the web and this is what I found:
What’s your take on Sittercity? Are you using Sittercity or have you used this service at all? Did you find our Sittercity reviews helpful? Would you pay a subscription fee to use Sittercity? Feel free to share your thoughts.
A nerd at heart (haha), I have been following and analyzing the world of online sitters for a couple of years now and have seen a lot of innovations and changes in this market. In between taking care of my loving (and demanding 😜) family and writing, I also do a lot of “traveling” on the Travel Channel and Discovery Channel. Read More
I like how easy it is to filter the list of sitters on Sittercity. It’s very easy to find someone who can drive and fetch my kids at school. I don’t have to go through the entire list of sitters to find someone who fits my needs. I can just filter them so that I end up with a list of sitters who are worth looking at. It’s such a time saver for me.
The cost of the basic background check is very reasonable, considering it’s very comprehensive. Since I always hire a long-term sitter, I usually go for the Enhanced Plus. It verifies Social Security no. and the background check goes ten years back. I like that it covers a longer period of time.
My mom lives with us. My kids are very close to her but I still prefer to hire a sitter when needed. I think it’s better that way so that my mom doesn’t end up spoiling my kids while I’m gone. With a sitter (yes, I hire from Sittercity) I usually establish my house rules and have peace of mind that they will be followed.
I had always wondered how parents use Sittercity to find a sitter. Up until then, I had never used it since I found no need for it. But now that I’m a mommy, it’s the only service I feel safe with. I just filter my search so that I can find someone near me. That was something I thought wasn’t possible at all up until I used the service. That’s why I’m really happy with Sittercity. I know the sitters I hire just live nearby.
I hired my first sitter on Sittercity two weeks ago. I needed someone to watch my one-year-old son. Since I didn’t want to ask any favors from friends or family, I signed up with Sittercity. It was so easy. The whole process was seamless. The best part was that the sitter I had hired already had a background check. 😊
Thanks for your review. It’s very helpful for new moms like me. Although I’m familiar with Sittercity (who isn’t), I’ve never really had a chance to use it until now. I just gave birth to twins and to say that they’re a handful is an understatement. The sitter I found on Sittercity is a pro. She knows exactly what to do and is never daunted by the fact that she has to take care of two babies. She’s amazing. I wouldn’t know what to do without her.
Even if you don’t exactly know your requirements for a sitter, Sittercity will guide you. It provides a long list of sitter credentials that you can choose from. For example, it will give you options for a full-time, part-time, and last-minute sitter. It will also give you an option to choose a sitter who can drive. You don’t really have to write down your requirements. Once you’re signed into your account, you’ll be guided along the way. So if you’re too lazy to post a super-detailed job offer, you can just choose from the list of requirements Sittercity has in place.
I appreciate your article. It covered everything I wanted to know about Sittercity and more. Now, I feel more confident choosing it. Thanks.
Go for it. I signed up a month ago. (BTW, don’t forget to use the coupon code here. I used it and it worked. I got a great discount. 😊 ) Anyway, I was able to hire this amazing lady whom my kids loved. She not only kept them company but she actually entertained them. My 13-year-old son, who is usually aloof, had a great time with her. My 9-year-old daughter, who is pretty easy to please, adored her. I only hired her for a couple of days but I am now thinking of hiring her on a regular basis. I’m happy with Sittercity. I’m sure you’ll be as well.
Everything you need to do to find a good babysitter is on Sittercity. You can scout for sitters by looking at their profiles, post a job, schedule an appointment, and run background checks. It’s just so convenient. I’ve tried other services similar to Sittercity but they weren’t user-friendly. Their background checks were also a bit too pricey for me.
My kids are 7 and 8 years old. They love their sitter and I found her on Sittercity as well. She’s okay taking care of two kids at the same time and she’s doing a great job.
Hi. I’m glad I came across your site. I used to use Sittercity. I joined it when it was just new. Just like some moms at that time, I was curious about it. So I tried it. I have to say that it was instrumental for connecting me to one of the greatest sitters named Sheila. She became our regular sitter. She really cared for my daughter. When my daughter got older, it was hard to let go of her. But she understood. We’re still in touch as friends but we haven’t seen each other in years since we had to move. Sheila was one of the few sitters I hired from Sittercity and I will never forget her. She was a darling. That’s my experience with Sittercity. I know it’s been a long time but I think it’s still worth sharing.
So far so good with Sittercity. The sitters are very reliable. They’re very punctual and I’ve never had anyone cancel at the last minute. But then again, I’ve only been using the service for about a year now. Still, I’m pretty satisfied with it and it’s definitely a lot better than asking around for a sitter.
As a long-time user of Sittercity, I just message the sitters I usually hire. It works well for me especially if I need someone at the last minute. There’s always someone who’s willing to come at the last minute.
Just to let you know, I’ve had a couple of babysitters who cancelled but not at the last minute. They were gracious and professional enough to let me know in advance. That gave me enough time to get a backup. It’s very easy to get a backup in Sittercity.
The basic membership is a good way to familiarize yourself with Sittercity. But I didn’t bother with it anymore because a lot of my friends have vouched for it. They’re signed up as premium members and they’re happy with the service.
The one-year membership plan is a lot cheaper than the monthly and 3-month membership plans. Although I would recommend the monthly and 3-month membership plans to other parents who haven’t tried the service yet.
In my case, I have already found awesome sitters on Sittercity. That is the reason why I’m on the one-year membership plan. I wouldn’t want to lose contact with the sitters I’ve already found on Sittercity.
You know what? I agree with you that fifteen dollars for a background check is well worth it. I am going to try Sittercity now. I’ll run a background check on the sitter to lessen my worries. 😊 Thanks for your review.
You mean to say, background checks on Sittericity start at 15 dollars? That’s a far cry from another childcare service that charges, at the minimum, 60 dollars. For all practical reasons, I’m going for Sittercity.
Checking the sitter’s profile, getting feedback from other parents, and running background checks are the three things I never fail to do with sittercity. These three things can really enhance your search for the almost perfect sitter.
The variety of sitters Sittercity offers is just amazing. There are college students and even moms whom I can consider each time I need a helping hand. I’ve stopped worrying about childcare ever since I signed up with Sittercity.
Two reasons why I recommend Sittercity. One is because of their feedback system, which is something you have stressed in your post as well. 😊 The feedback system of Sittercity is coming from parents who have already hired the sitters. This means that their feedback is based on experience. Nothing personal, just facts.
Second, is because of the background checks. At first, I wasn’t too thrilled about running the background checks myself but it was actually pretty easy to do. It’s but right that we do it ourselves. These two features of Sittercity make the service well worth it.
I was once signed up with a childcare service that provided me lovely sitters for my kids. But it wasn’t anything like Sittercity because I had to go to their office and see the sitters myself. The sitters were young ladies who were college students. They had impeccable background and went to good universities. I think those were the bragging points of the childcare provider.
Of course, the service was quite expensive. We were billed monthly. When I saw Sittercity, I decided to try it. The sitters I hired weren’t so bad as well. So, I decided to stay with Sittercity since I can get quality care for almost half the price.
The choices Sittercity offers is good. I can always find someone who is professional enough to do the job but not too stuffy at the same time. I mean I want my kids to have fun and not be scared of the sitter. Another thing I also like about Sittercity is their mode of payment. I can do credit so that there won’t be any awkward moments in case I don’t have any cash. 😊
You always have a solid list of options with Sittercity. If you look thru the profiles of their sitters, you’ll be able to come up with a good list of contenders. Then you can streamline your list so that you can start a phone interview with the chosen ones. From there, you can again streamline your list to meet with the top applicants. That’s how I usually do it when my regular sitters aren’t available. It works for me all the time.
I’m curious. At which point do you run background checks? Or do you even bother doing it knowing that Sittercity only approves sitters who have run background checks on themselves? I just want to know because I’m seriously considering using their service. Thank in advance.
You are absolutely right. The sitters on Sittercity have already run some kind of background check on themselves but that doesn’t mean that we can skip it.
I usually run a couple of background checks on the sitters who have successfully passed my phone interview. The reason for that is because I will be meeting with them face-to-face. I don’t want any dubious people in my home. Just so you know, this is the only service I trust for my kids. 🙂
Thanks. I appreciate your reply. I’m trying the service now and will run some background checks as well.
It’s hard to trust anybody these days, My wife and I really rely on the background checks of Sittercity. We want to know everything about the sitter whom we will hire.
That’s just the way it must be done. For the safety of your kids, you need to know a lot about the sitter. Doing background checks is the way to go. That and checking on their past reviews form previous employers are non-negotiable. These are two important things we, parents, must do each time we hire a sitter. Luckily, it’s easy to do those things with Sittercity.
The chances of finding someone who matches your schedule are a lot greater on Sittercity. You see, when you visit the sitter’s profile, you can see her availability right away. You won’t waste time getting in touch with sitters who aren’t available on the dates you want to hire them.
You’re absolutely right! I find that Sittercity’s profiles of sitters are complete as compared to the profiles on other sitter services. The most critical factor to consider is that the sitters on Sittercity have been screened previously. We, parents, should be aware of that. 🙂
I’m just wondering. Who among you has hired a sitter at the last minute?
I’ve hired a couple of sitters at the last minute and I never had any issues with them. You just need to take some to look at their profiles and choose someone within your area. It should work out. 😊
I have a regular set of sitters that I call on at the last minute. That’s one of the perks of being with Sittercity over the years.
You can also do a background check right on the site. That’s very easy to do and I recommend that you do it especially if you’re hiring the sitter for the first time.
The good thing about Sittercity is that all their sitters have done a background check on themselves. But when I get a chance, I run one myself just to be sure. Nonetheless, checking the sitter’s profile and choosing one within your area should work pretty well if you’re in need of a last-minute sitter.
You’ve never hired one at the last minute? I always do 🙂 I’ve come to know some sitters really well that I can trust to hire them at the last minute.
One of the last-minute sitters I hired before was a professional nanny. She was wonderful. 🙂
Your article is very helpful especially now that I am looking for a reliable childcare service. Daycare is definitely out for me at the moment. There is no way I am taking my daughter to daycare. I want the one-on-one care of a sitter and I can get that from Sittercity.
My interviews with the sitters nowadays are longer because I ask them a ton of questions. For example, I ask them about their hygiene practices. I need to know just to be sure. Food handling is another topic I get into as well. There’s just a long list of questions that need to be asked but none of the sitters from Sittercity have shown any disdain. They understand why I do it.
Thanks for sharing how you interview your sitters. It’s but right to ask them about their hygiene and food handling practices. After all, they’ll care for our kids. It’s our business to know. I will do that as well. 🙂
It’s funny. About 3 years ago, Sittercity had some stiff competition in the market. I even tried some of them but now that we’re living in uncertain times, I’m trusting Sittercity more than even. They have a great way of pooling trustworthy sitters who are located in my area. I would rather hire someone from my area than a complete stranger from nowhere.
It’s good you pointed out that Experian authenticates the identities of the sitters who register. That’s good way to assure other moms that it’s a lot safer with Sittercity. The sitters who sign up are real people.
Sittercity provides a private messaging platform. That way, my information isn’t out there. So, when I look at a profile of a sitter, I can just send a message privately and not post it for all the members and other sitters to see. That’s one of the features I like about this service. It’s not perfect but out of all the services I’ve tried, Sittercity works very well for me.
I like it as well because it’s very convenient to contact a sitter (that I’ve hired before) on a last-minute basis. I don’t want to go with someone that I’ve never met or hired before on a last-minute basis.
It’s also easier to get a last-minute sitter thru their private messaging feature.
I have been recommending Sittercity for as long as I can remember. Even with the onset of new childcare services, I have always stuck to it. Considering our current situation, I’m sticking it out with Sittercity.
@kinney I agree with you. 😊 Now, is NOT the time to try something new. Sittercity is not just the pioneer in the childcare services, it boasts a good track record for us to parents to rely on. So, my advice to parents who are looking to try a childcare service at this time is to go with the one that has been proven over time. Obviously, it’s just Sittercity.
I thought I’d have a hard time finding a sitter on Sittercity considering a lot of moms in my area are already signed up with the service. I had this weird notion that there won’t enough sitters signed up to meet the demands but I was wrong.
It looks like most of the students in my area are also signed up with Sittercity and that’s just amazing. That means there’s always a sitter out there who’s available for us moms.
As much as moms trust Sittercity, so do the sitters. Despite the fact that they have to undergo a background check to be able to sign up as a sitter, Sittercity still seems to be the trusted platform for them as well. That’s good for moms like us. 🙂
My take on Sittercity is that it’s the only childcare service I trust. More so, these days when I need to hire sitters that I have known for a very long time. With the years that I have spent on Sittercity, relationships have been created and trust has been cultivated. I can’t see myself with any other childcare service.
I have just renewed my yearly subscription with Sittercity. It’s one of those critical services my husband and I rely on. We can’t do without it especially nowadays when our schedule is pretty erratic. After years of using the service, we never have a hard time finding someone we know on Sittercity
My 5-year old son and I moved in with my parents a couple of weeks ago. I found a job nearby but I just couldn’t let my parents watch my son. That’s too much already considering we’re already living with them. I signed up for Sittercity and hired someone who lives nearby. Now, all my mom has to do is to oversee things and I feel quite comfortable with that.
It’s very easy to find someone who lives nearby with Sittercity. As long as you filter your search, you will be able to come up with a list of potential sitters who are living nearby. That’s one of the many things I enjoy about Sittercity. It’s a service that I don’t mind paying for. It’s very helpful. 🙂
My husband and I have been working from home for the past months and we thought that we could do away with a sitter. We were wrong. We rely on Sittercity even more now. It’s good that their profiles are very detailed. That helps us choose someone we’re comfortable with.
I have stuck with the same list of sitters for the past three years. They’re awesome! I got to know them over the years and they’re pretty much the reason why I stuck with Sittercity. I’ve never had to look at the profiles of other sitters. I just rely on my list. My point is that you will eventually get to know some sitters that you can rely on and you can just call on them. For me, that’s the nicest thing about Sittercity.
You get more information from the sitter’s profile of Sittercity. That’s critical considering we need to leave our child with a total stranger. It’s a must for me to go over every bit of information that’s available on Sittercity. I also make sure to read the reviews from other parents. There are some sitters that still don’t have any reviews but usually they’re new on the site. I stick to the ones who have good reviews. Then when I feel comfortable with all the reviews and information, I ask for an interview.
The comprehensive background check is not free but it’s definitely worth it. Here’s what I do. I run a comprehensive background check on the sitter. It’s something I never fail to do because if you think about it, I can always call on that same sitter. With Sittercity, it’s easy to call on that same sitter. You can send a message anytime.
What I like about Sittercity is that I can easily message the sitters I have already hired in the past. It’s very easy to get in touch with them. They reply right away. So, if a sitter can’t take a job, I can easily message another one. I’m never left without an option.
I feel more comfortable with sitters. I would rather hire one than send my kid to daycare. The one-on-one care from a sitter gives me more peace of mind. No way can my kid get that kind of care and attention from daycare. Most importantly, if my kid stays home, she has less chances of catching a cold or a virus from other kids.
With my first baby, I stayed home for a couple of months to take care of her. Now with my second baby, I cannot afford to stay home and not work. I need to go back to work. So, I am relying on Sittercity to get me a reliable nanny who can watch my newborn. I’ve hired a couple of sitters from Sittercity to watch my three-year old and I have no complaints. Of course, it’s a totally different thing when you’re hiring a nanny for a newborn so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.
Even if I knew that Sittercity had a lot of sitters signed up with them, I still wasn’t so sure if I could find someone who could watch my kids on a daily basis. There were too many things to consider and I just wasn’t sure if I could find that one person who could fit into the description I had in mind.
Anyway, I signed up for basic access just to see how things work. It only took me a couple of days to find someone whom we could trust and most specially, come over on a daily basis. I am so glad that I gave it a try.
Don’t you think a couple of days is pretty short to really get to know someone … let alone trust someone? Just thinking ….
Before Sittercity, I had no idea how I could find sitters in our new area. It was bad enough that we moved, it was even worse that the area we moved into was pretty remote. Believe me, remote is an understatement. Then I tried Sitttercity and I was still able to find some good sitters. That is why I still rely on it to this day. It’s the best way for me to find reliable sitters.
I am one of those parents who trust Sittercity. The reason is simple. Sittercity makes it possible for me to hire the same sitter. Even if I don’t hire on a regular basis, I am able to get the same awesome sitter. My kids love her.
I am very comfortable with Sittercity. After three years of using the service, I have met some of the most professional sitters. They are great to work with. They know their place in my home. I admire how they keep a professional distance. They’re never too familiar with us and I like that.
Sue, my daughter’s sitter has become part of our family. My daughter loves her dearly and I can see that Sue loves her in return. What I really admire about Sue is that she never meddles when I have to discipline my daughter. She’s part of the family, at the same time, she never crosses the line to interfere.
Our regular sitter, Sheila, has been with us for about five years now. We found her on Sittercity and my kids just love her. She lives in the same area as ours and studies nearby as well. So, I didn’t have to worry about her going away for college. That would have devastated my kids. Sheila is the reason why I never bothered to try out the other childcare services.
I’m very strict with food. Yes, I’m that kind of mom that doesn’t allow junk food in the house. I get a lot of flak for that but I don’t really care. One might think that it would be hard for me to find a sitter for my daughters considering my house rules, right? But no. I have a regular sitter from Sittercity who feels exactly the way I do when it comes to food. She’s a gem.
Finding part-time sitters for summer has been quite easy through Sittercity. I highly recommend the service to anyone looking for sitters.
I always use Sittercity when I need to do some overtime work. My sitter, Chloe, is willing to fetch my kids from school and stay with them until I get home.
DH (dear husband) was relocated 3 years ago and of course, we all had to pack up as well. We moved to another state and my first concern was finding a sitter for my DS (dear son). I was already signed up with Sittercity at that time but I wasn’t really sure if I could find someone in our new area. Long story short, I was able to find someone. Searching for sitters on Sittercity is easy no matter where you’re located. Hence, is the reason why I’m still with them to this day.
For two years now, Sittercity has been a big help for me. I can easily connect to the sitters that I feel comfortable with. I like Sittercity’s platform because it really makes it easy for me to contact the sitters. Sittercity just works for me and I’m very happy with it.
I have been with Sittercity way before the other childcare services came about online. Even with the new ones, I’m still with Sittercity. To start with, I find it affordable, especially with their annual membership. Secondly and most important of it all, the sitters I have worked with are really awesome, very professional. I have never encountered any issues with them.
I agree with you that Sittercity is well-worth its fee. When it comes to the safety of the my kids, I don’t mind spending at all. That’s why I don’t even have second thoughts in doing background checks on the sitter. I really think that it’s a must to get to know the sitter first, which, of course, includes doing an in depth background check on her. There’s just no other way to for me to do it.
I couldn’t help but try out the free basic access. It got me connected to some sitters in my area. I was really impressed that I chose the one-year premium membership after the free trial. It’s the most reasonable plan. The paid membership offers more perks and security.
This is a very comprehensive review of Sittercity. I was looking online for some reviews but most of them were more focused on the part of the sitter. I’m a mom and I need to know the mechanics of Sittercity. I’m glad I saw this review. Thank you.
In my case, I’m glad I went for their free access. I got to experience how it is to be signed up and I have to admit that their services are really aligned with my childcare needs. I don’t have to plan so much since it’s easy to get in touch with their sitters any time of the day. I think that’s awesome. I highly recommend their doing the free basic access.
I’m going to take you up on that recommendation of yours. There’s really no harm in trying out Sittercity. Who knows? It might be right for me. Thanks.
It’s very hard to go back to work after the baby arrives. The thought of leaving the little one with someone whom you hardly know is heartbreaking. I was in the same place two years ago. I can never forget how I felt the first day I had to leave for work. The only consolation I had was that the sitter was from Sittercity. I had her background checked. I also read her reviews and she seemed okay. I hired her and to this day, she’s still the one who comes over to watch my daughter. Maybe I got lucky but still I appreciate that Sittercity got me someone like her.
I actually enjoy finding a babysitter on Sittercity. My way of using this particular service is that I go through the qualities that are all listed down. Then I choose the set of qualities that I’m really looking for. So,it’s kind of like I’m creating a whole new person for the job.
Obviously, you search for a sitter proactively. That works well if you have all the time. I don’t. So I just post a job and wait for some interested parties. But the one thing I don’t compromise is safety. Running background checks is a must for me.
It actually works like a dating website. I think the only difference is that we get to do background checks on Sittercity. Come to think of it, I think dating websites should also run background checks. LOL
Babysitters are really hard to find these days. If you do find one, she’s probably not even available. On Sittercity, I’m able to also see the schedules of sitters, which is really helpful when it comes to hiring one.
The amount of time I usually spend looking for a sitter is cut in half, thanks to Sittercity. With their background checks and sitter reviews, I can make better decisions without wasting too much time.
Sittercity has been my go-to source for all my sitter needs. It’s very easy to use. If I’m in a hurry, I usually just leave a message in the profiles of the sitters I’ve hired before. I never run out of options and I usually find someone whom I really like. Sittercity just works so well for me.
It’s my first time to try it so I’m excited to experience what most moms are raving about. I’ve never used any kind of childcare service since I’m a stay home mom. With another kid on the way, I’m going to need all the help that I can get. It’s not going to be easy to take care of two kids but with the help of a sitter, it’s going to be a breeze.
I’m starting to feel the same way as well. I’ve just signed up recently and I’m very impressed with all the services they offer. They seem to have everything I usually look for. I feel no need to get with another childcare service. I’m quite happy with their services.
Thanks for your very complete review of Sittercity. I really appreciate it. 🙂 It seems you’ve covered all of the things I had questions on about their services. This is tremendously helpful for moms like me who are very careful with choosing a childcare service. Needless to say, I’m going for Sittercity.
I don’t just settle for a sitter who’s just going to watch my kid after school. I want to come home and not have to think about homework and quizzes for the next day. That’s why I prefer a sitter who can tutor as well. I’m glad that I’ve been able to hire that kind of sitter from Sittercity.
In addition to a comprehensive background check, I also run a motor vehicle check. I don’t think federal records are included in the comprehensive background check. So adding a motor vehicle check gives me more peace of mind. Even if I don’t usually require a sitter who drives, I’ll have a good idea if she has been charged or something.
That’s a good idea. I never thought about that. I only run the comprehensive background check. It’s a good idea to have a motor vehicle check as well. Thanks.
It’s really good that Sittercity screens their babysitters. But as a parent, I’m not contented with just a basic background check. I usually run a more comprehensive background check. The only time I don’t run one is when a babysitter or a parent has run the most recent comprehensive background check. Without that, I just don’t feel safe.
I’m glad I finally found a Sittercity review that’s helpful. Most of the reviews I saw were about the company and not about the service. Thanks for sharing. Now I have a good idea about their service and how it works for parents like me.
Thanks for the tip. I’m going to look out for sitters with an Enhanced Background badge. Thats going to help me a lot especially when I need a sitter right away.
Thank you for your detailed and straight forward review on Sittercity. Most of the reviews I came across with were mostly about issues with membership renewal. None of them really dealt with the service nor did they even mention about the background checks, which I think are critical when you’re looking for a sitter. Anyway, thanks.
To avoid issues with membership renewals, just check on the settings and make sure it’s not on automatic.
Sittercity is the only service that seems to work for me. The background checks are easy to run. The rates are very reasonable. I’ve tried a couple (no need to mention them) but they just didn’t work the Sittercity works for me.
I’m actually pretty okay with Sittercity. The monthly fee is worth it considering I would have to pay higher if I got an agency to rely on for last minute sitters. Of course, like any other services I’m signed up online, I would have to always check on my settings for membership renewal. So since I really rely on the service, it’s always on automatic renewal. For first-timers, it’s best to look into the settings just to be sure.
Having been with Sittercity for quite some time now, I have had some issues from time to time. Their Customer Success has always resolved my issues. They are always happy to help and that is just one of the few things that I like about them. It’s very easy to submit a request.
The background checks Sittercity provides are very valuable to me. I could never do without them. So much information comes out of those of background checks. For example, I almost hired someone who has a couple of parking tickets. Knowing that doesn’t make me feel comfortable at all. It would be totally unsafe not to get a background check done.
We used to have a local pool of sitters that was mostly made up of the teenagers in our community. When the good ones went off to college, we started exploring Sittercity. It turned out to be a better alternative for all of us.
It’s good that Sittercity has a free access. I took advantage of it to see if I could handle the site and it turned out that it was pretty easy for me to deal with. It really helps that I can see the sitters who live nearby. I get to save a lot of time going through the profiles since I can just go directly to them. Of course, that’s just one of the perks of signing up.
Just like to share with you guys my story. My husband and I were having some rough times and the first thing our marriage counselor recommended was to make sure to have date nights or at least, spend some quality time together ALONE. We had to make that happen so I really needed to find sitters whom we can call regularly. Sittercity was recommended to me and we have never looked anywhere else since.
I did the free basic access per your recommendation just to scout around for a sitter. Eventually I signed up for the premium membership. I didn’t expect much but I did find a wonderful sitter that was patient enough with my boys. Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts on Sittercity.
I can’t believe I’ve waited this long to try out Sittercity. I had been hearing about it from friends but never really got into it since my mom was staying with us. Suddenly though, she decided to stay with my brother who lives in another state. So now, I am left with no one to help me out with my kids. It’s not that my mom is required to help me out but she’s always a big help, especially during the holidays. Well, I couldn’t stop her from leaving since she is quite excited to see her new grandson. Anyway, it turns out well for me as I’m able to try out Sittercity. I guess it’s about time.